Today I thought I'd do something a little different. I used to post jewelry making tutorials every so often, and over the years, they have proven to be very popular. As the techniques that I employ in my jewelry making evolved and advanced, the type of work I was doing seemed to lend itself less well to tutorials, and to be honest I haven't had much free time for the last several years, so I haven't posted any in a long time. But lately I have a new obsession - working with succulents! Just a hobby, but a fun way to unwind and enjoy the beautiful summer weather we've had this year. I thought I might try to post a succulent tutorial now and then - please let me know if this is something you're interested in seeing more of, or if you'd rather I stick to my day job. :-)

I'm going to share a simple project with serious 'wow' power that any beginner can complete, given some simple materials and 30 minutes of free time - a succulent-stuffed strawberry pot.

You will also need some good quality potting soil and perlite (or pumice, if you can find it, in place of the perlite). In a bucket, make a 50/50 mix of the soil and perlite.

I keep a supply pre-mixed under my potting table for easy access. If you prefer, you can use cactus soil instead of this mix.

I like to put a paper coffee filter on the bottom of the pot to keep the soil from leaking out of the drain hole. You could also use a piece of hardware mesh, or a rock, in a pinch - or live life on the edge and leave the hole unprotected (gasp!)...

Next, you're going to fill the pot with your soil mixture to the bottom edge of the lowest planting holes in the pot. Gently water the soil in and add more if it settles.

Now the fun begins! Start setting those little plants in the holes. You can do just one plant per hole, or two if you like a really lush look.

This little guy wanted to tip out of the hole, so I weighed his roots down with a rock to keep him in place.

After you've finished the lowest layer, add more soil until it reaches the bottom of the next-lowest opening, add plants, and continue until you are near the top.

If you happen to inadvertently knock any leaves off while handling your plants, don't get rid of them! You can often use those leaves to grow new plants - for free! (Maybe I'll do a tutorial on that once I have a little more experience on the subject - in the meantime, succulent propagation tutorials abound on Pinterest, if you're interested.) Or if you don't want them yourself, mail them to me! :-)

At this point, it is of course time to fill up the top. I like to combine tall and spiky plants with lower and/or cascading ones for visual interest. The tall/spiky one in my arrangement one doesn't look like much at the moment, but look at the blooms it will display later if I manage to keep it alive!

Once you've filled in the top with plants, all that's left to do is water everything in and clean up your mess.

Try to position your lovely new creation where it can be admired from all sides, and rotate it periodically to give all the plants even exposure to the sun.

If you found this tutorial useful, please leave a comment, or share on Facebook, Pinterest, or wherever you hang out! And if you're a jewelry lover, please take a look at my work. Thanks!